About Canadian Thanksgiving
Canadian Thanksgiving, Action de grâce in French, is a harvest holiday kept on the second Monday of October. In 2026 it falls on Monday, 12 October 2026. Families gather over the long weekend for a turkey dinner. It comes about six weeks before American Thanksgiving because the harvest ends earlier in the north.
Canadian Thanksgiving is smaller and quieter than the American one. There's no giant parade on television and no shopping frenzy the next day. It is a long weekend in early autumn, when the leaves are turning, with one big family dinner somewhere in it, a walk, and often the last trip to the cottage before winter.
Why October and not November
The plain answer is the harvest. Canada's growing season ends earlier than most of the United States, so a feast for the harvest makes sense in early October. By late November much of the country is already under snow.
The date has moved a lot. After Confederation, the first national Thanksgiving was held on 5 April 1872, to give thanks for the recovery of the Prince of Wales from illness. For years after that, the government chose a day each year, often in October or November. From 1921 to 1930 Thanksgiving was even combined with Armistice Day, the Monday of the week of 11 November, until the two were separated so that Remembrance Day could stand on its own.
The current rule dates from 31 January 1957, when Governor General Vincent Massey proclaimed the second Monday in October as "a day of general thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed." So the holiday always falls between 8 and 14 October.
The older stories
Canadians sometimes say their Thanksgiving is older than the American one, and there is something in it, though it is not a straight line.
- In 1578, the English explorer Martin Frobisher, searching for a northern passage to Asia, held a service of thanks at Frobisher Bay, in what is now Nunavut, after his fleet survived weeks of storms in the Hudson Strait.
- In the early 1600s, French settlers with Samuel de Champlain in Acadia held regular shared feasts under the Order of Good Cheer, l'Ordre de Bon Temps. Some accounts say Mi'kmaq neighbours joined them, though that is not certain.
- After the American Revolution, Loyalists who moved north brought New England's harvest thanksgiving customs with them, including turkey and pumpkin pie.
None of these is the direct ancestor of the modern holiday, which grew out of official proclamations, but each is part of the story Canadians tell.
How the weekend goes
Because the holiday is on a Monday, the dinner can be on Saturday, Sunday or Monday, and many families pick whichever day the most people can come. Students home from university, adult children travelling between two sets of parents, and friends' gatherings all get fitted in.
The meal looks a lot like the American one: roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, roasted squash or Brussels sprouts, and pumpkin pie. Butter tarts often turn up for dessert, and in Quebec a tourtière might sit beside the turkey. The Canadian Football League plays its Thanksgiving Day Classic on the Monday, and Kitchener-Waterloo in Ontario holds Oktoberfest that week, with a Thanksgiving Day parade.
Most shops close on the Monday in provinces where it is a statutory holiday, so families do the shopping on Saturday.
Holiday status by province
| Where | Status |
|---|---|
| Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan | Statutory holiday |
| Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon | Statutory holiday |
| New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador | Optional; employers may close and pay staff, but the law does not require it |
| Federally regulated workplaces (banks, telecoms, airlines) | Holiday across the country |
Canadian and American Thanksgiving
| What differs | Canada | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Second Monday of October | Fourth Thursday of November |
| Fixed by | Proclamation, 1957 | Act of Congress, 1941 |
| The story told | The harvest; sometimes Frobisher, 1578 | The Plymouth harvest of 1621 |
| Shape | Long weekend; dinner on any of three days | Thursday dinner, often a four-day weekend |
| The day after | Back to work on Tuesday | Black Friday shopping |
For the American holiday, see Thanksgiving.
For Indian families and students in Canada
Many Indian students in Ontario and British Columbia spend their first Canadian Thanksgiving far from family, often with exams or part-time shifts around it. If a Canadian classmate or colleague invites you to dinner, it is a real invitation and a kind one. Bring something small, like a dessert or flowers, tell the host early if you are vegetarian, and expect to be asked what you are thankful for.
If you have family in Canada, a call on the Sunday or Monday is the thing to do. For many Indian-Canadian families the weekend has turned into a reunion anyway, with a turkey or a vegetarian spread and the relatives who live a few hours' drive away.
What to write
Happy Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for all of you, for this long weekend together, and for whoever made the pie.
Thank you for having us for Thanksgiving dinner. Everything was delicious, and it felt like home.
Happy Thanksgiving. If you're not going anywhere this weekend, come to ours on Sunday. There's more food than we can eat.
Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for all your help this year, and enjoy the long weekend.
Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada. It's a harvest holiday, so I'm thinking about what I'm grateful for, and that's all of you.
Thinking of you this Thanksgiving. I know the table will feel different this year. I'm here if you want company or a call.
Joyeuse Action de grâce à toi et à ta famille. Profite bien de la longue fin de semaine. (Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Enjoy the long weekend.)
Merci pour ce magnifique repas de l'Action de grâce. On s'est sentis comme chez nous. (Thank you for that wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. We felt right at home.)
Do
- Wish people on the Friday before or over the weekend; by Tuesday it is over.
- Thank your host the next day with a short message.
- Invite someone who you know is far from family. It is the Canadian thing to do.
Avoid
- Don't assume everyone has the Monday off; in Atlantic Canada and in many shift jobs, they may not.
- Don't confuse it with the American holiday in late November.
- Don't ask a grieving friend what they're thankful for this year.
How to wish someone on Canadian Thanksgiving
A Canadian Thanksgiving message thanks someone for something real from the year and wishes them a good long weekend with family or friends. \"Happy Thanksgiving\" works in English and \"Joyeuse Action de grâce\" in French. For a host, thank them for the dinner. For someone far from home, like an international student, an invitation or a call means more than a greeting.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, French (Canada).
When is Canadian Thanksgiving in 2026 and 2027?
Canadian Thanksgiving falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 1 day earlier than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
Why is Canadian Thanksgiving earlier than American Thanksgiving?
Canadian Thanksgiving is in October because the harvest in Canada ends earlier than in most of the United States. Since 1957 it has been fixed on the second Monday of October, about six weeks before American Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November.
Is Thanksgiving a statutory holiday in all of Canada?
No. It is a statutory holiday in most provinces and all three territories, and for federally regulated workplaces. In New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador it is optional, so employers decide.
Which day do Canadians eat Thanksgiving dinner?
Any day of the long weekend. The holiday is on Monday, but many families eat on Sunday so that people can travel home on Monday, and others choose Saturday. The day matters less than getting everyone to the table.
How do you say Happy Thanksgiving in French?
In Canadian French, Thanksgiving is l'Action de grâce, and the usual greeting is "Joyeuse Action de grâce" or "Bonne Action de grâce". The day itself is called le jour de l'Action de grâce.
When did Canada start celebrating Thanksgiving?
The first national Thanksgiving after Confederation was on 5 April 1872. Explorer Martin Frobisher held a thanksgiving service in the Arctic in 1578, which is often called the first in North America. The second Monday of October was fixed in 1957.
Was Thanksgiving ever on the same day as Remembrance Day?
Yes. From 1921 to 1930, Thanksgiving and Armistice Day were held together on the Monday of the week of 11 November. In 1931 they were separated, and Remembrance Day has been kept on 11 November since.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .